A little while after Chris Weidman broke his leg in horrifying fashion at UFC 261, former WWE superstar Ryback remembered his own ordeal. According to the Big Guy, he suffered a similar injury during his run in the WWE. He detailed his experience on Twitter.
Ryback talks about his knee injury
In a decade-long run in the WWE, Ryback never made it to the top. He had several opportunities to break the glass ceiling, but fans never accepted him as a main event player. Eventually, his place in the card fell lower and lower until he was off of it completely.
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In 2015, Ryback won the Intercontinental Championship for the first time in his career. It was also his first title win in WWE, making it a special moment for the Superstar.
Unfortunately, he blew up his knee and required surgery for a staph infection that developed. He even tweeted about it back then.
“After Raw Monday, I woke up Tuesday morning before some media appearances with a severe staph infection in my right knee. I was brought to a hospital and put on strong antibiotics and had 90 cc of fluid drained out of knee in a 24-hour period. We caught it in time thanks to the great WWE medical team, and I will make a full recovery.” (H/T Bleacher Report)
For people that want to know what my ankle injury was like, it was the break of the second fight and the deadness of the calf. Blew an entire comeback with it that way against Tyson Kidd, which is how my leg spiral broke to my knee. The shit is no joke.
— The Big Guy (@Ryback) April 25, 2021
On Twitter, Ryback opened up on the injury and blamed it for ruining his comeback.
“Blew an entire comeback with it that way against Tyson Kidd, which is how my leg spiral broke to my knee. The sh*t is no joke.”
The Big Guy’s WWE run
Ryback had a successful career in WWE despite claims from critics and fans. His look perfectly aligned with Vince McMahon’s fantasies, and he had a decent wrestling repertoire as well.
Some could say he reminded fans of a modern-day Goldberg. Just like he had the Spear and Jackhammer, Ryback’s Meat Hook clothesline and Shellshocked finisher were equally feared.
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Even though he was a part of the Nexus angle in 2010, his run in 2012 made headlines. He challenged CM Punk for the WWE Championship within a year of debuting.
Although he was unsuccessful in capturing it, his aim remained on the title when John Cena won it from The Rock. He challenged Cena in two hellacious matches, the second one requiring Cena to toss him through the roof of an ambulance to win.
Once his major feuds ended, Ryback descended lower down the card until Survivor Series 2014. He joined Team Cena and attempted to beat Team Authority, but Luke Harper sent him for an early shower.
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Injuries and frustration, which led to his release, highlight the rest of his career.
Read More: Everything You Need to Know About Brock Lesnar’s Life Outside WWE